Teen Titans: Newcomer
by Saphirian Waterclaw
Summary: Carda knew the old Imperium planned to invade Earth. Why wouldn't they? At first when he tried to warn Starfire, he was interupted in a rather painful manner. But once he said his part, the team is now faced with the threat of alien invasion. They are outnumbered, out gunned and have very few troopers to defend Jumpcity with. And Carda can't help. Maldia has arrived. Rated T
1. Chapter 1 Escape

Prisoners sat huddled together in their cells, eight to a cell. The halls were lined with convicts and criminals. Catharian troopers patrolled the halls, guns held at the ready. The prisoners glared at their captors as they paced up and down the hallway, waiting for a moment to strike. And something of that caliber wasn't far off.

When the guards had finished patrolling their end of the hallway, one of the cells rehuddled together. Two of the prisoner were Rhionian, one male and the other female, famed horned warriors of the system of Grent. Four were Goliaks, the race of two foot tall goblin like thieves who stole from pirates and returned prized possessions to their owners free of charge. Another was a mist walker, a race of people who could pass through any substance without disturbance. The last was of the same race as the guards of the prison, a Catharian from the Catharian Empire named Carda. For that reason alone, he was scheduled for execution. But what he had done had sentenced him to stellar exposure, a form of slow execution by being fired directly at a star. If starvation during the trip wouldn't kill you, the heat would.

Catharians were furry humanoids with bushy tails and wolf-like ears. They wore sleeveless hooded shirts and knee high boots over baggy pants. They were well built and stronger than most in both will and strength. Some were even as strong as weaker Tamaranians. But their fighting nature was unrivaled by any known in the galaxy. They used to be famous for their heroic last stands from which they emerged victorious over their adversaries. But things had changed.

"The plan is simple. Scarah will smash through the door. The Goliaks job will be to free the other prisoners. This will cause the guards loads of problems trying to coral all of us back into our cells. Ghorn and Breathe will shut down the control bridge monitoring the security of the compound. I'll help what ever prisoners I can along the way. The more of us fleeing all at once, the better chance at least one of us prisoners has at escaping. Every man for himself so that we can all help each other." Carda said scetching out the plan of attack in the dust on the floor.

"So kid, you think your idea will work?" asked the Rhionian with a savage scar across his horned snout.

"One shot's better than no shot." Carda replied, eyes shadowed by his hood. The four Goliaks smiled to one another remembering their part in the plan.

The mist walker merely nodded and said "I wish to die on my feet rather than in the pit searching for shards of hope. Of all our causes, yours my friend is most honorable. I would gladly take my stand beside you."

"Thank you." Carda nodded sincerely.

"He's right kid. You're one of the few people who deserves to escape this place." Ghorn added.

"Lets just hope I do." Carda said with a sigh.

"Then lets make it Rumble!" Said the Female Rhionian named Scarah and slammed the cell door with her horn, smashing through it and sending metal bars everywhere. The four Goliaks immediately rushed to the other cell doors and picked the locks with alarming speed. Prisoners walked out slightly surprised at first, and then took as much advantage of the freedom as they could get their hands on. Hundreds of prisoners began flooding into the hallways as the Goliaks picked the locks of the cell doors open. Carda took the shoulder of one of the slower prisoners and helped him in his escape. Alarms wailed overhead, prisoners yelled and shouted, heading in all directions.

"Carda my boy, leave me, I'll make it." the slow and old prisoner insisted. Carda shook his head.

"Won't make it most likely any way. Might as well help you." Carda insisted.

"You don't understand. My Cell mate will help me, he's coming around the corner." The man insisted. Sure enough, a burely Rhionian Carda had never met before came around the corner and picked up the elderly man in his massive arms. Carda nodded and ran on his own, following the crowd of escaping prisoners. Only he knew exactly where he was going unlike the rest. He was headed for the hangars.

Carda ran past a window, and paused to look out. Apparently he was in a four story tower. The window looked out over the writhing courtyard where prisoners were trying to escape in sheer mass. That would never work. the only escape they could do is if they made a move for the hangars. Flying out in a combat fighter was easier than walking out unarmed. And he wasn't the only one who thought the hangars were a good idea. Other prisoners were hurrying to the hangar wing of the complex. One of his Goliak cell mates ran up behind him.

"Carda, we've dismantled the forcefield barrier and shut down all combat turrets on the base. You'll be clear when you reach the hangar." He said cheerily.

"Thanks for everything." Carda said gratefully. The Goliak merely smiled.

"I am merely happy that you do not judge me for a hideous thief and think me your equal." He replied in his odd little way of speaking and hurried off to free more prisoners.

Carda sprinted into the hangar bay wing, where prisoners were scrambling to figure out how to fly the Catharian fighters. He climbed up the boarding ladder and into one of the cock pits, closing the cockpit hatch behind himself. Other prisoners were beginning to figure out the controls and began to one after another glide out of the hangar and out to freedom. Carda initiated the launch sequence and sped out of the hangar and over the court yard, cannons firing round after round into the main gates tearing them apart. Cheers sounded below as one more obstacle was removed from their path to freedom. Only that got Carda too much attention. Four Imperium combat fighters flew in behind him and opened fire on his tail. He grimaced and broke into a tail spin and pulled back up and over his pursuit, flying upside down. When the pursuing fighter came around, Carda was already activating his light speed drives. The fighters tried to shoot at him but he was already gone.

"Commander, one of them escaped to light speed." The lead fighter pilot announced." We're unable to track him." The commander reclined in his chair, shadowed by the gloom of his seat.

"We don't need to track him when we already know where he's going." The commander said with a ruthless grin." Plot a course for earth. You will find it fairly easy to resume your pursuit."


	2. Chapter 2 Wrongly Accused

Robin hated when nothing was happening. It always meant something big was about to hit the city. Dr. Light was a pain at times but Raven typically had that guy covered. Blackfire was in jail on some far out and desolate system, so no problems for Starfire. Hyaep academy wasn't sending any of their best out lately. Mostly goons who were being taken out by people like Speedy and Aqua-lad. Control freak was busy vegitating out to WarpTrek. The brother hood of evil was busy trying to recover from their latest defeat. And Slade was as anonymous as ever. Something always happened in this city. This silence just wasn't right.

"Yo Robin!" Cyborg called from the hallway."You gonna come out and eat or what? We're all gonna get pizza!"  
"Maybe later." Robin replied."I'm not very hungry right now." He said staring at his desk covered in news articles on how absolutely nothing was happening here in the city.  
"Dude! This is the first break from crime fighting in three months and all you've been doing is staring at news papers! Live a little will ya?" Beast boy pleaded.  
"Robin, come dine on the delicious edible glory of stringy pizza with us, your friends." Starfire invited hopefully.  
"Robin, nothing's happening. Just give it a rest already." Raven stated in her own bland and emotionless sort of way.  
"Alright, I'm coming." Robin admitted and gave in.

The team went to their regular pizza place and encountered their regular problem. What to get. Beast boy was busy arguing with Cyborg over veggie or meat lovers while Starfire was suggesting all sorts of toppings to them, not knowing that all of the toppings she was listing shouldn't go on pizza. Raven was smart enough to bring a book to read and simply ignored the quarrel around her. Robin however had to suffer through this chaos. Finally, they resolved to getting three pizzas. One veggie lovers, one meat lovers, and something that was completely indistinguishable that only Starfire was eager to eat. A peppermint icing, whipped cream, mustard, sprinkles with pretzels, Carrots, mashed potatoes with gravy, and anchovies pizza. She regretted it later with a horrible stomach ache and sped back to Titans tower trying to hold it all in. Raven picked up a slice of the normal pizzas and watched the grease drip from the edges with a slight shiver before returning to her book.

Then something happened. As Robin and the rest of the team walked into mission head to see how Starfire was doing, A series of six objects sped overhead.

"What was that?" Beast Boy asked as they watched them speed over the city and out over the water. Robin Narrowed his eyes trying to see what they were doing.  
"Are those, Alien Fighters?"Cyborg asked trying to zoom in on what was going on with the monitor.  
"Cyborg, can you see anything?" Robin asked watching them twirl and dive around one another.  
"One of them is being chased by four of them, and the biggest one is sitting back." Cyborg said looking up and trying to get a visual on the main screen. He was able to get a more up-close view of them on the monitor. They were fighters alright. The sixth was some large warship of some sort. The fighter being chased was doing extremely well considering the odds they were against. Only what was strange was that they were't firing back.  
"Does anyone have any ideas about what is going on?" Raven asked.  
"I recognize those ships!" Starfire announced holding her stomach." They are fighters of the old Catharian Imperium. However something isn't right. They shouldn't exist anymore."  
"Any idea what they're doing chasing that one like that?" Raven asked.  
"I am sorry, I do not. It is difficult to think when holding in one's food." Starfire stated trying to concentrate.  
"Well we're about to find out. One of them hit the target." Cyborg said. Everyone looked at the monitor. The left wing of the targeted craft had been blasted off and the wreckage was hurtling for the pier. The largest ship followed lazily to the pier and landed.  
"Let's get a closer look."Robin said determinedly."Starfire, wait here. Things could get hairy. You aren't in any state to come with."  
Starfire nodded."Best of luck friends. I will come when I am better."  
"Just rest, Star. We'll be fine." Cyborg said trying to reasure her. When they had all left,she turned and watched the monitor image of the burning pier.  
"Of that, I am not so sure." She said nervously.

When the titans arrived at the damaged pier, a fire fight was ensuing. Wolf eared Catharians were running around on one side of the pier were firing at the burning heap of a warehouse where the target inside was returning fire from. Robin walked over to one of the Catharians wearing a grey suit of armor unlike the others clad in white and bearing laser rifles.

"Were the local law enforcement of the city. What is going on?" Robin asked. The grey clad Catharian turned to Robin and smiled.  
"Oh, sorry for the intrusion. I am commander Grajj of the police force deployed to this system. One of our prisoners escaped from their compound and fled here to your planet. We're trying to cause as little damage as possible in capturing him, but we have no other way of getting inside that warehouse so we're causing a bit of a mess I'm afraid." He said apologetically.  
"Mind if we help?" Robin asked.  
"If you can, I would be sincerely grateful." the Catharian replied hopefully.  
"Consider it done. Titans, GO!" Robin ordered and they sped towards the warehouse.  
"Provide covering fire men!" The grey clad Catharian ordered and the Catharian police opened fire on the burning warehouse. Laser fire was returned but none of the shots made their mark. The team quickly reached the massive wooden doors and Cyborg knocked it down without effort. Inside fires burned from all corners of the room. But there was no sign of any escaped prisoner. Robin frowned. They were willing to play cat and mouse. Only there would be four cats on his tail.  
"Titans, split up!" Robin ordered and the other three nodded and ran in different directions. Robin was all alone now. Only he wasn't alone. A lone silhouette slipped through a break in the flames.

"Who's there?" Robin demanded and held out both hands taking a fighting stance. Suddenly a form dropped in front of Robin on both feet and one hand. Their face was masked by their hood. A pair of wolf ears protruded from the hood and their long bushy tail swayed back and forth behind themself.

"Who seeks my presence? You are not of the Imperium." they asked standing up and pulling back their hood. Their face was covered in short thick fur, almost like skin. Their hair was grey and their eyes were a deep blue hue. He wore a belt covered in identical square satchels that rested on his hip at a slant.

" I'm gonna get straight to the point, turn yourself in or else." Robin called through gritted teeth.  
"I cannot comply with such a request. You do not know what you ask." The prisoner replied.  
"Then it seems like I'm going to have to change your mind!" Robin yelled, charging at the other. The prisoner side stepped the attack and caught Robin's foot coming around to strike. He yanked Robin around and tossed him aside before jumping all the way up onto an I-beam parallel to the ceiling. Robin growled and jumped from I-beam to I-beam, quickly reaching The prisoner's position. Only the prisoner was plenty ready and landed a firm blow with his foot to Robin's chest sending him head first backwards into a pillar. Robin jumped back to his feet spin kicking the prisoner in the ankles and knocking their feet out from under them. They recovered the fall marvelously with a hand plant and tried to land a kick in counter. Robin dodged it and punched them across the cheek. The Prisoner retaliated in a full forward punch. Robin dodged the fist, but was unprepared for the prisoner to do a back spin and slam his elbow to the side of Robin's head. He tried to counter with a punch, but the prisoner caught his fist and threw Robin behind himself.

"You're far too hasty." the prisoner noted.  
"I'm only just getting started."Robin replied and charged again landing a punch to their lower jaw and another to their gut. The prisoner punched back, hitting Robin in the chest and and brought their foot around landing a kick to the face. They were more evenly matched than the situation seemed. And the prisoner slowly realized he was wearing out. Gradually, but certainly. Robin charged again, only the prisoner failed to react in time and received a punch to the head sending him reeling off of the I-beam and landing hard on the cement floor. Robin pursued landing gingerly and charged the prisoner in their weakened state. They backflipped out of the way, kicking Robin in the chin so that both had to recover their footing.

"Give yourself up whoever you are!" Robin ordered.  
"My name is Carda, And I do not wish to fight you. But I shall not be taken without a fight." The prisoner growled and grabbed hold of a straight re-bar and held it at arms length in his right hand, pointing it at Robin. Robin drew out his collapsable rod and held it in the middle with both hands. They charged each other, Carda jumping over Robin while Robin was getting low to sweep with a broad shot. They each missed their mark and their steel met in a follow up attack. Carda pulled back and assaulted Robin with one volley after the next of attacks, Robin deflecting each attack but slowly was driven back towards the flames. Robin's eyes narrowed and he broke away from the onslaught with a large scaling leap and kicked Carda in the back of the head with a horizontal spin kick. Carda crashed through the charred and weakened I-beam and skidded across the floor before jumping back to his feet and turning to face Robin, a fresh wall of fire dividing them.

"This is where we part. I am sorry for the damage I-urgh!" Carda grunted as he was hammered by volley after volley of starbolts.  
"You will not hurt my friends!" Starfire yelled and swooped into the burning warehouse, catching Carda in the stomach with her fist and crashing him through wall after solid wall of cement. Carda grabbed onto her wrist and pressed his index and middle finger to her shoulder hitting a preasure point. It caused a spasm of pain to grow up her arm forcing her to let go and ended up flinging Carda into one last wall. Carda recovered his footing and barely managed to block a well aimed punch directed to his head with a sweep of his forearm.  
"What?" Starfire exclaimed confused at the strange form of blocking. He blindly retaliated with a charging punch square in her stomach, sending the contents of her previous meal spraying everywhere out of her mouth. Carda froze as Starfire sank to her knees shaking slightly from the forced expulsion of food.  
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Carda asked nervously. Starfire looked up confused.  
"Why do you stop?"Starfire asked confused.  
"I didn't mean to hurt you so badly." Carda said taking a step back.  
"It is alright, I am not-"Starfire began but an explosion of blue energy slammed him into a wall and Cyborg appeared jumping over a fallen I-beam.  
"You alright Star?" Cyborg asked still aiming his sonic cannon at Carda.  
"I was not in any danger." She tried to say but Cyborg didn't hear.  
Beast boy was busy whaling on Carda as a gorilla after bursting through a wall behind him. Carda deflected each blow with his forearm sweeping motion and leaped up and kicked beast boy in the face, using the momentum from the kick to propel himself up and over a wall of fire and out of sight. He landed on an upper floor and rested against the wall thinking the coast was clear enough to catch his breathe. Only it wasn't. The wall suddenly turned black and he jumped out of the way just as it toppled over, Raven floating on the other side.  
"Azarath, metrion, ZINTHOS!" she recited picking up the debris and hurtling it at him with her magic. He jumped up and somersaulted over her landing on all fours and kicked her in the back before rolling under a burning I-beam. Raven landed on her hands and knees and looked into the fire looking for her target. But he had already disapeared from her view.

However he was far from freedom. On the other side he found himself face to face with Robin, Beast boy, and Cyborg. He took a defensive stance as they charged him simultaneously. Carda jumped up and grabbed Cyborg by the head and thew him to the floor, caught Beast boy in a spinning kick and ducked out of the way of a trio of Robin's explosive disks.  
Only he didn't know they explosive so he was knocked forward without warning when they detonated.

"Listen to me, you don't understand-"Carda began.  
"What's there to listen to?"Beast boy fired back before transforming into a gorilla and pummeling him through a wall with one punch. The Fire was getting worse. When Cyborg tried to charge after Carda's body he was cut off by a falling wall of rubble. Carda got to his feet and ran but as he tried to leave the building onto another rooftop from this floor, Starfire was standing there, Right hand held up and ready to fire a starbolt.  
"Starfire, it's me! Carda!"Carda pleaded.  
"Carda? Is it really you?" Starfire asked letting down her guard.  
"Starfire, you need to listen to me. The Imperium-"He began and froze, sinking to his knees and toppled sideways, a syringe needle protruding out of his left shoulder. Robin and the rest of the team stood behind his unconscious form, Robin holding another tranquilizer throwing dart at the ready.

"Starfire, are you okay?" Robin asked putting away his other dart.  
"I was in no danger, he did not intend to harm me!"Starfire protested.  
"WHAT?!"The others asked in unison.  
"Told ya." Raven mumbled.  
"Starfire, what is going-" Robin began to ask.  
"Ah, well done, well done indeed. I am very grateful for your assistance. If you don't mind, I'll be taking back my prisoner." Commander Grajj said in a friendly tone. Robin looked at Carda lying on the floor and back at the commander.  
"Actually, I believe we are going to hold him in our custody. He needs to be held accountable done to our city." Robin replied. Grajj's mouth twitched slightly and he forced a friendly smile.  
"As you wish. When you are through with him, we intend to resume custody of his person if that's alright." Grajj said in a friendly tone.  
"We'll see." Robin said back and Cyborg picked up Carda's unconscious form and the titans departed commander Grajj and his police force. Grajj swore in Cathariac and contacted his superior.  
"The earthlings have the subject." Grajj said.  
"Unacceptable!" The commander yelled back."If he warns them of our plans for that pile of space rubble-"  
"Sir, I assure you, they consider him a criminal. We are in no danger of being discovered."  
"The Gordanions lost a Tamaranian prisoner there. If rumors are correct, she might know him and support his claims against us." The commander stated forcefully, though Grajj was already swearing in Cathariac.  
"What do we do then?" Grajj asked.  
"Invasion of Earth will proceed ahead of schedule. Maldia will lead the attack and take over command of your forces already present." the commander replied simply and Grajj swallowed hard.  
"Yes sir. Awaiting his Highness's arival." Grajj finished and closed communications.


	3. Chapter 3 Family problems

Raven watched Carda on the other side of the one way reflective glass, his arms fastened to the titanium desk, eyes closed and head hung. He seemed sad. Defeated. But not broken. It was kind of strange watching him. He didn't struggle at the restraints. He simply sat and waited. Robin walked in.  
"Anything new?" Robin asked.  
"Nope." Raven replied in her uninterested tone, though it portrayed her curiosity poorly.  
"Isn't that-"  
"The same position he's been sitting in for the last four hours? Yup. No struggle." Raven replied and pulled out her book.  
"I wonder what he did. Seems strange why they would arrest someone like him." Robin speculated thinking deeply about it.  
"Whatever he did, they really want him badly." Raven stated in her mellow tone. Cyborg and beast boy entered the observation room and walked over to Robin.  
"Where's Starfire?" Robin asked.  
"She was pacing back and forth in her room. Says she remembers that kid from somewhere, but can't remember where." Cyborg said.  
"I don't see why we should give a hoot about this guy. He trashes our pier, nearly beats Robin to a pulp, and hammers Starfire! He even fits the evil sinister other-worlder thingy!" Beast boy said trying to come up with a good movie reference.  
"Are you saying you don't trust him because he's creepy? You think I'm creepy all the time and you don't write me off the list of the living." Raven said darkly, her eyes glowing white.  
"W-w-well, your different. He fits the whole evil killer bad guy look." Beast Boy replied stammering. Raven was unimpressed but didn't dwell on it.  
"Whoever he is, he appears to be concentrating or something. All of the arm-lock sensors are saying his heart rate is way below normal. Way below. Only 20 beats per minute!" Cyborg reported watching one of the monitors.  
"Huh?" Beast boy asked surprised.  
"Dude! That means his hearts beating only once every three seconds!" Beast Boy squealed.  
"Way to go genius." Raven stated and flipped her hood up.  
"Wow! His pulse just dropped again! Only 10 beats a minute and falling!He's breathing in and out at the _same_ time as well!" Cyborg yelled.  
"Is he alright?" Robin asked staring aghast at Carda as he watched the heart rate monitor.  
"All sensors are reporting biological shut down. Cognitive activity is falling. However his blood is still flowing to his head and throughout his body only in a single continuous flow. Any other person would be dead. His heart isn't beating, his brain isn't responding, and his lungs are receiving air without using his diaphragm. I don't have a clue what's going on." Cyborg stated confused.  
"I'm going in." Robin said not waiting for protest.  
"Be careful. We have no idea what is going on with him." Cyborg advised.

As Robin entered the room, Carda heard the doors slide open and looked up. When he saw who it was who entered he hung his head again.  
"Robin!" Cyborg yelled over the inter-com."He's alright! All bodily functions are returning to normal." Carda looked at Robin skeptically.  
"You were worried about me?" He asked with a small smile.  
"Your body was shutting down we thought." Robin replied slightly confused.  
"Oh, that. I was falling asleep. Or, a form of 'sleep meditation' in a way. It allows me to completely shut down and restrengthen my physical energy. Only, my blood flows by itself by crawling along the walls of my veins and arteries." Carda replied and starred back at his hands.  
"EEEEWWW!" Beast boy accidentally blurted over the intercom.  
"We have a lot of questions for you, and we need answers." Robin stated firmly.  
"What do you want to know?" Carda asked openly.  
"Who and what are you?" Robin demanded." You show up, smash through private property being chased by your police force without a shred of background about you and suddenly you are interested in complying?!"  
"As I told you before, my name is Carda. I was shot down and crashed into your private property by sheer accident. They are not police, or at least, not the real ones. They are a military detachment sent to kill me because I escaped a prison compound where I was being housed for execution. Those police are trying to silence me before I warn you of their plan of invasion." Carda replied slightly irritated at Robin's outburst.  
"And you expect me to buy that?" Robin asked face to face with Carda.  
"I _expect_ you to prepare your planet to defend itself, but if you're seriously interested in taking your chances with the Imperium, be my guest. You won't have been the first nor the last." Carda replied gritting his teeth.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin growled.  
" They are the bad guys here. You're chewing out the wrong side."Carda shot back.  
"And what makes you think we can't take them down?" Robin asked glaring.  
"If you're ready for them, you might be able to hold off their fleet. But if they bring Maldia, You'll need my help." Carda replied relaxing and starred at his arm-locks, their metal clamps binding every inch of his arms to the desk.  
"Who's Maldia?" Robin asked calming down considerably.  
"My younger brother. Only he's possibly stronger than I am at this point." Carda answered, deep in thought.  
"Is he the one behind your execution order?" Robin asked.  
"I'm not sure. But I know he supports the Imperium." Carda replied.

"Carda! It is now that I remember who you are!" Starfire proclaimed running into the interrogation room.  
"Starfire!" Carda sighed smiling.  
"You brought your fleet and defended Tamarania from the Imperium Invasion. It was you who against all odds stood firm while our warriors trembled at the sight of their fleet. I remember it all so clearly now."Starfire said happily, clapping her hands together."And before then, we used to play as children by your palace gardens when we were little."  
"Back when the Imperium and the Tamaranians were allies. I remembered. But why didn't you remember me back at the burning structure?" Carda asked puzzled.  
"Only the name. I had forgotten the memories shared with that name." She replied slightly embarrassed.  
"Starfire, you know him?" Robin asked.  
"He and I were childhood friends."Starfire replied."But I must ask, did you not defeat the Imperium? Why have they returned?" Starfire asked confused.  
"Because we never completely defeated them. The Emperor and his following remnants escaped the final battle over Catharia." Carda replied." Until a few months or so, we thought they were gone for good. But when they surprised us in the Blitz over Catharia, we could not resist. We were too unprepared. Now all we have left are small pockets of resistance of the Neo-Catharian Empire." Carda said staring at his arms.

"Okay, I'm confused. Could someone tell me what is going on? And from the beginning." Robin asked sitting down on the other side of the table.

"I understand," Carda replied and sighed before continuing."Years ago, the Catharian government was falling apart. Our over expenditure on military endeavors had driven us into bankruptcy. Then Rhathan, my father, rose from the ruins of our dying government. He established order and stability within the Catharian people, and they likewise, made him their emperor. It was then that the Imperium took form.  
"While we been in poverty, numerous enemies had risen and challenged us to war. That was also one of the key reasons why the Catharian people plunged into economic decline and how my father rose to power. It was through his authority and use of the ancient powers of war that we vanquished one enemy after another. In so doing, the Imperium was forged in his name. However, the power that he had was that of dark and evil energy, wrought from the fires of anger and the infernos of wrath. Though our people prospered under his reign, we failed to realize how inhumane and evil we were becoming. Slowly our ways of dealing with our enemies increased to horrific proportions. The slave trade was born. Massacres of other races were considered insignificant. Inch by cruel and heartless inch, our people became the definition of all evil. First we demanded tribute from systems we discovered. If they missed a payment by even a second, their people were enslaved and their planet inhabited or destroyed.  
"But there was a flaw. Though we were expanding, my father's control over the empire began to waver. When my father would be in one corner of the Imperium, insubordination would rise up in the other. He needed a way to be in four places at once. So he bore three sons and imbued them with their power. The Eldest was named Shafeth. The middle born was myself, Carda. And the youngest was Maldia. Each of us could wield the same power as our father. Equally in strength as he was. And we carried out his will. Although we had numerous enemies, people such as the Tamaranians and the Gordonians were allies to us since they had power lesser to us, but were far from worth destroying. They kept one another occupied so we overlooked the matter.  
"Then one day, our father took Shafeth to a Planetary obliteration ceremony in his honor. And what he saw that day changed him. The faces of the brave and resiliant people. The despair. The Ambassador watching his home crush under the rotating beams of the planetary annihilators. The memories and tyranny spurred him to rebellion. It started out with only his division of the military. Then he branched out to the systems who wished to overthrow the Emperor for his tyranny to lesser races and fellow alike. After that he set up underground resistance movements among the slaves with his deal for freedom ringing throughout their whisper filled barracks. Follow him and freedom is rewarded with their own system to populate. He drove a hard bargain to possibly pass up. Millions silently answered the call to arms. And our father was none the wiser.  
"Then I discovered one of the resistance movements my brother had cultivated. At first I was shocked. Of the three of us, he had served most loyally. I was only 10 years old at the time. Maldia was 9. Shafeth had just turned 20. I couldn't believe this was happening. When I confronted him about his actions he pulled me aside and we argued incessantly. Everything I knew that was right in my eyes he was telling me was wrong. But eventually it sank in and I joined him with my detachment of forces. I helped orchestrate the arming of slaves and training of volunteers. We were ragtag for an army, but we far outnumbered our fathers forces. Though Maldia grew ever closer to him, Shafeth and I kept our distance. Maldia had an insatiable love for destroying. I wonder sometimes if he were given more of my father's powers than Shafeth or myself. At least more coontrol.  
"Then we made our move in one swift stroke. THe Imperium made desperate moves to spread out of the way by conquering systems and using such positions as rallying points. One such attempt was over Tamarania. The Tamaranians were far from well armed back in those days and lacked naval power of any sort. So I personally maneuvered my fleet in a defensive blockade around the planet. To say we won would be a discredit to the numerous Tamaranians who gave their lives that won the victory. Our fleet had been decimated and it was only through their efforts that the remaining few warships survived-"  
"Carda, without your fleet, Tamaran would have never had time to prepare for the battle. It might not have been a battle at all without your people delaying their approach." Starfire protested passionately.  
"By all regards it was a team effort." Carda said trying to dodge an argument."Anyway, after the battle for Tamaran, we pushed for the Catharia itself and claimed it after four bloody days. Only we never knew what became of Maldia or Rhathan. Until we were blitzed. We had already relocated and freed all of the slaves losing one of our major defensive forces. We also lacked the military capabilities we had held during the war. Since we thought the age of the Imperium gone forever, we were unprepared when they returned with a vengeance unheard of. It was only four months ago. The NeoCatharian Empire was forced to retreat to half of the original systems occupied in the conflict. Once we had stabilized from losing our ground we began returning fire. I joined the spy division and retracted crucial information allowing us to mobilize against the Imperium retaliation. Since my brother is Emperor of us now, he has his hands tied. He is the only one of the both of us that matters really so I put my skills of one man survival to use. Two months after the blitz, as I was spying on the Imperium network, I overheard plans to attack Earth and resume their conquering ways. It was hospitable, had a population of intelligent hardworking beings known as humans and offered a decisive fall back point considering how remote it was. Well, I was caught and imprisoned. When I had finally escaped, they followed me here and caused the chaos now before you." Carda sighed and reclined in his folding chair.  
"Wait, huh?" Beast Boy asked scratching his head.  
"Earth is scheduled to be enslaved. An Imperium army will be arriving ahead of schedule to secure control over the system. If they bring my younger brother, you'll need my help." Carda said. Beast Boy's jaw dropped as his mind began racing through all sorts of alien invasion movie parallels. Raven now appeared minorly interested even though her attention had peaked.

"What makes you think we can't handle your kid brother? We beat you earlier, he can't be much stronger." Robin asked.  
"Robin, he was not trying to fight us earlier." Starfire stated.  
"I didn't know how much of a beating humans could take. Now I know you are a pretty tough people, but far stronger have fallen. And as far as Maldia goes, he's my problem. My family fights so that every strength becomes a weakness. You wouldn't stand a chance. I rarely do." Carda said leaning back.  
"Then it looks like we need to gear for attack." Cyborg said seriously.  
"And I think we may need to add another titan to the ranks." Robin said grinning at Carda.


	4. Chapter 4 Different yet understandable

Carda sat up and stretched before getting off the couch and walking over to the fridge in the Titans tower Mission room. He opened the fridge and glanced around, found a pack of sliced meat, a pair of bread slices(whatever those were), a container of mayonaise(or something) and a flat circular surface to eat it on. He decided that he would use the bread to hold everything together. He decided against using the meat he had found and went with kind of meat in thin strips. He also found some odd red vegetables alongside oddly shaped leaves so he decided to add that to the concoction. The bread seemed far too weak so he decided on extracting the water via heat. He found a spiral surface that seemed designated for heating and placed the bread on it directly. He watched it carefully as he heated the coil by turning a dial. It was tricky the first time round, but he had successfully and evenly toasted the bread. He did the same with the other slice and the meat before slathering the bread on one side a piece with mayo. He threw everything else together and smiled looking at his development. It looked similar to something an Earth person might eat. He'd seen a few here or there at designated eating places across the planet. Very similar to restaurants back home. Maybe the called them restaurants here too. It didn't matter to him all that much. He was just plain eager to eat something for once in the week. And he had to admit, it didn't taste all that bad. Sure it was a little on the crispy side, but he had to admit; his methods for preparing it were rather original as far as cooking the meat and bread directly on the coil. It seemed like a poor way to evenly distribute heat. He must have done the cooking a bit wrong.

He shrugged and grabbed a few oddly shaped white semi spherical objects that apeared to be soft on the inside. The side of the box they were held in read 'Eggs'. He'd read somewhere that they were cracked open, and the contents mixed with cheese and seasonings to form some sort of morning meal food called an omelet. Whatever it was, he was willing to find out. He found a metal disk with edges and a handle and decided it would work rather well to distribute the heat evenly.

Meanwhile, Cyborg had walked in yawning and froze as he watched Carda studying the pan in his hand. His jaw dropped a little as he set it on the stove and cracked an egg on it before starring a while and removing the bits of shell he had let fall into the egg whites. After removing all of the shell bits he turned on the stove burner and found a spatula. He starred at the utensil and tested the strength of it's form before shrugging and using it mix in the cheese with the eggs.

When Robin walked in his expression mirrored that of Cyborg as Carda experimentally made an omelet, throwing bits of seasonings over it after smelling the contents on his finger. Some seasonings he set back but others he kept such as salt and a dash of pepper.  
"Are you seeing this?" Cyborg asked Robin as Carda added some milk to see what happened.  
"He's making an omelet?" Robin asked pointing hesitantly. Carda was too busy eyeing his simmering concoction to notice Robin and Cyborg were watching him experiment.  
"How come Starfire never knew how to cook from experimentation the way he is?" Cyborg asked. Carda shook his head after eying a bottle of mustard and set it back in the fridge and flipped his omelet using the spatula backwards and upside down. He eyed the spatula for a while and flipped it over in his hand to test how it felt right side up and the right way around. He nodded to himself resorting to using it the way it was designed not knowing he had caught on to using it the right way.  
"I think he is just a more picky eater." Robin shrugged. When Carda was done cooking the omelet he slid it out of the pan and onto a plate, the omelet a steaming happy golden color. He looked up at Cyborg and Robin realizing he had company.  
"I used the spatula upside down and backwards didn't I?" He asked trying to clarify. Robin smiled and nodded. Carda shrugged with a sigh and began eating the omelet with a fork to cut and a knife to stab. He slowed to a stop and switched their tasks to great success compared to his previous experimentation.  
"How did you learn how to cook an omelet?" Robin asked.  
"And a BLT?" Cyborg added pointing at the sandwich half eaten on the plate on the counter.  
"Guessed." Carda said shrugging. Robin starred.  
"Wish Starfire had learned to cook like us." Cyborg mumbled. Fortunately, Starfire didn't overhear that comment as she walked in smiling.  
"What a GLORIOUS day!"  
"Hey Star." Cyborg nodded and Robin smiled. Carda grinned after swallowing the rest of his BLT whole and washed it down with the remnants of the omelet.  
"And to what degree did you enjoy your sleep Carda?" Starfire asked.  
"As a pose to a rusty, molding, solid steel bunk without a mattress, the sofa was pretty nice." He admitted. Beast Boy stumbled in yawning while Raven glided out from behind him and found a nice spot to read.  
"Cyborg, where did you put the tofu waffles?" Beast boy asked in a garbled voice in between snorts and yawns.  
"I didn't touch em'. They're still in the fridge." Cyborg replied shuddering at the thought of waffles made of tofu.  
"Oh yeah...(snort)... there they are." He mumbled and walked over to the fridge and was about to open the door. As he leaned over, he collapsed into a snoring slouch against the door. Cyborg didn't even half to look up from his news paper to know Beast Boy had fallen asleep on the fridge and fired off a weak sonic pulse into the air with a boom, startling the snoozing vegetarian from his slumber against the fridge to resume the removal of his waffles.  
"He like that every morning?" Carda asked grinning.  
"Just about." Cyborg said over his shoulder so Beast Boy could here it.  
"Heeeeey, don't judge. I was up last night re-watching 'Super Shogun Showdown 12'. They just released it with director cuts and everything." He protested, half awake now.  
"And that's supposed to make sense." Raven asked rhetorically. Beast Boy was fully awake now and crouching on the back of Raven's chair and leaning over her yelling.  
"YES IT DOOOOOOES! IT'S THE DIRECTOR'S CUTS! THE ONE THE ORIGINAL WRITTER DUDE HAD IN MIND, DUUUH!" Beast boy protested viciously.  
"Good morning to you to, Beast Boy." Raven replied shrugging and looking back down at her book. Beast Boy paused for a moment and laughed awkwardly before going back to his waffles.

Carda finished his omelet just as a red light flashed over head with a alert horn sounding.  
"Trouble!" Robin said grimacing.  
"Who is it this time?" Beast boy moaned staring at his waffles still cooking away.  
"Adonis." Cyborg answered.  
"Oh boy." Raven said setting down her book and pulling up her hood.  
"Who's this Adonis guy?" Carda asked.  
"A shrimp who uses car parts for giant armor with an ego to match." Beast boy answered staring sadly at his waffles.  
"Mind if I help? The Imperium would be far from surprised from you 'enslaving' me and using my powers for your purposes. As long as you don't 'use' me to fight them, they wouldn't have a problem with me getting bruised here or there." Carda said.  
"Alright, let's see what you can do." Robin nodded and the six of them ran out.


	5. Chapter 5 the rage for destruction

They ran into the car dealership and stood together in the middle of the room filled with fresh cars. In the middle, Adonis was busy refitting himself with one of the cars he was standing next to.

"Looks like someone came in after closing hours." Robin said. Adonis looked up and smiled broadly.  
"Just try it Titans! You'll find the newer model far superior to the last edition!" Adonis replied and both groups charged one another. Cyborg took his position behind a truck and opened fire while Beast boy charged as a gorilla and hammered at Adonis. Adonis merely smiled and blocked the volleys of fists with his metal plated chest and grabbed Beast boy by the head before throwing him away straight into Cyborg. Robin tried to attack with his birdarangs but they were brushed aside with a swift movement of his arms. Starfire fired starbolts but nothing seemed to be working. Even the other cars Raven was hurtling with her magic seemed insufficient. He simply knocked them back with his armor clad fists.

Carda watched as they fought and looked down at his hands. He looked back up and took a deep breathe.  
"Carda! A little help would be appreciated!" Cyborg yelled. Carda nodded and ran at Adonis fists held back. Adonis turned to Carda and smiled. Carda ignored him and jumped up spin kicking him to the side of the head, twisted into a backflip downward kick and ended with a third spin kick in the opposite direction. Adonis stumbled backward holding his hands in front of his face as Carda landed softly on all fours, left leg held to the side. Adonis pulled his hands away and his face was covered by a steel vizor undamaged during Carda's attacks. Carda growled and charged again only this time Adonis swatted him away with an armored forearm sending Carda head first and backwards into a pillar. Everyone watched Carda sail through the air into the pillar and looked back at Adonis with an even firmer conviction in beating him. Raven summoned up a number of cars and drove them at Adonis while Beast boy began throwing debris by the armful. Yet nothing seemed to work. Adonis was still unscathed. After Cyborg had run out of excess energy and Robin out of explosives, the entire team began to exhaust. Starfire sank to her knees panting and Raven landed leaning against a pillar sweating buckets. Beast boy knelt to one knee panting.  
"That's right! Adonis wins again you little pests! Now it's time to take out the trash!" Adonis laughed.

"Enough!" Carda yelled suddenly and everyone froze. Because although it was Carda who said it, it was not Carda's voice. It was no longer the firm and audible voice of Carda. It was something almost inhuman. Lower. Darker.

Adonis turned to Carda, slightly stunned.  
"I thought I'd already plastered you." He said confusedly. Carda stood, his eyes completely shadowed by his hood. He walked towards Aadonis slowly but surely. Adonis's hands began to shake as he raised them. He forced a competitive smile. But Carda kept approaching. Adonis panicked and grabbed a car by the front and hurled it at Carda. It exploded on impact but Carda walked through the blast unscathed.  
"St-stay back! I'm warning you!" Adonis said nervously and threw another, larger car at Carda. Again it exploded and Carda merely walked through the blazing explosion.  
"Robin!" Cyborg yelled." His pulse is gone again! He's breathing circularly like last time and there is some strange interference I'm picking up on an unidentifiable frequency!" Robin looked at Carda, jaw dropping.

"Three were wrought from evil's fire  
Meant to quench all Hell's desire  
From the sky, rained Heaven's blood  
And upon the ground, the dead will flood."Carda recited, his voice turning into a rhytmic rumble.  
"What is going on?!" Adonis yelled.

"Four now stand at the burning gate  
The thirst for destruction shall be sate  
Kneel before me and remember clear  
That your death is by the hand of FEAR!" Carda roared and ran at Adonis with blinding speed and slamming him in the stomach with his knuckles on his open palmed fist. Adonis crashed into a wall, the place where Carda had struck glowing orange and melting. Adonis got to his feet but was knocked down with a neck chop from Carda who had sped behind him. Before Adonis could hit the ground, Carda dashed in front of his falling body and kneed Adonis in the face sending him reeling in the opposite direction onto his back. His armor was dented and crackling as he moaned and tried to get up. Carda grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the air before jumping up himself and began pummeling Adonis in mid-air.  
"St-st-st-op-sto-p-p." Adonis tried to plead sputtering in his blood as he was slammed against one wall and thrown against another on the far side.  
"Carda! Cut it out! he gave up already!" Robin barked but Carda didn't stop. He slammed Adonis into the ground with a backflip kick leaving a large ten yard in diameter crater. He landed on Adonis and ripped off the armor with one hand and tore off the helmet with the other before pummeling Adonis directly. Raven took over and wrapped Carda in a cocoon of her magic. Carda burst out of the cocoon easily and hurled himself back at Adonis. But as he was about to make the finishing blow with his right hand, his left hand flew up and caught it. He slowly began to relax and let his hand fall. Adonis lay bruised and bloody but his armor had taken the more serious damage. Cyborg scanned him and nodded to Robin.  
"He'll be fine. Just unconscious." Cyborg stated. Carda backed away and sat on his heels as security troopers flooded in and picked up Adonis' limp form hauling their prisoner to the armored police van. Robin walked over to Carda.  
"Is that why you weren't joining in?" he asked. Carda nodded.  
"The moment I saw that normal attacks were pointless, there seemed nothing I could do without going overboard. But when I saw you all losing, I couldn't let him win, regardless of consequence. Allowing my powers to flow was possibly the worst idea I could think of. But he would have hurt you worse than recovery could mend. That's why my brother and I restrained from our powers and resorted to weapons. Weapons can at least be controlled by the wielder."

"You mean you're used to fighting with weapons?" Cyborg asked. Carda nodded to Cyborg over his shoulder.  
"Since we abandoned our ties, we abandoned our powers which only spread evil and destruction. I've been fighting Maldia with such ever since the rebellion."  
"Why didn't you say so! I can help you make an artificial version! I have had experience in creating all kinds of weapons!" Cyborg said smiling broadly.  
"You sure?" Carda asked grinning at Cyborg's enthusiasm.  
"Positive! I help out Robin in upgrading his explosive disks all the time." Cyborg said.  
"Then I guess we have some work to do." Carda grinned.


	6. Chapter 6 The Coalition of Tyranny

He sat at the table, hands folded over his chest. The room was lavishly adorned with tapestries of bold symbols that his armies bore on their armor and warship hulls. Servants milled about, waiting for his request. Around him at the table sat numerous dignitaries and ambassadors from allied empires and galactic nations. Four stalwart guards stood in every corner of his chair. Only they were more for show. He didn't need guards considering how powerful he was. But the guards were far from just for show in the way that they fought. He was worthy of such fighters standing at his side with their skill being limited strictly for show. No one had the ability to challenge that statement anyway. At least, almost no one. There was one major obstacle in his way. And he intended to deal with it with one fell stroke.

The metal doors at the other end of the room opened and a massive Tridonian warlord walked in, flanked by a squad of guards. The warlord came of his own will and the guards were present only as a show of good faith and competence on behalf of the man seated at the table. Only he was far from any mere man. He was Emperor Rhathan. Feared throughout the galaxy for his conquering and underhanded swindling. But even more feared was the power with which he wielded. No other being rivaled such power other than his traitorous sons. The youngest was the only one actually faithful. Shafeth and Carda were a story of their own. When the Tridonian had seated himself Rhathan stood and folded his hands behind his back.

"You all know why you're here. This meeting is to answer your questions that were bound to surface when I sent the messages. To explain terms of a combination of strength in order to snuff out the Neo-Catharian Empire. The reason for such is obvious. They are the only thing holding each of you back form pillaging and ransacking the new system governments rising up on the borders of your domains. This galaxy is far too small to allow for such interference. So I made my proposition. The Coalition of Tyranny. Though to some it may still sound like a dirty word, in truth it is the essence of true power. Tyranny. Each of us whether we accept it or not has executed such to satisfaction. Now is the time to redefine such and show this universe our true power. Under a united banner we can wipe out the weak. Slaughter the masses of incompetence. And promote the survival of the fittest. Let me answer a common question and state that this alliance is not a treaty. We are more than allowed to sabotage one another, raid, sack, pillage, and massacre as we see fit. But if one of us is threatened by an outside force, we band together to repel the threat. Because if they aren't a threat to you today, tomorrow you'll be signing peace treaties. This alliance is designed to prevent such." Rhathan continued pacing around the table of tyrannical rulers and warlords.

"Understand that the primary objective of this alliance is to repel threats against the means of acquiring power through domination. This alliance is not designed to look out for one another although it is encouraged." Rhathan added. The fellow rulers nodded and a warlord at the far end of the table raised his hand.  
"How do you propose to crush the Neo-catharian Empire? Although to some gathered here that this alliance is all a charade to get help to crush your 'rival' shall we say, I've been getting pummled by their warships on a daily basis. Can't seem to do anything without one of those royal blues knocking down my moves towards expansion." They said irritated. Rhathan nodded and addressed the whole group in his answer.  
"There is an isolated system that has been discovered. Surprisingly enough, according to intel reports it is relitively close to the galactic core system of Naleran." He said as the lights dimmed and a projection expanded from the center of the table.  
"As many of you know, Naleran is a major cornerstone in the Imperial defense network. It supplies all of the surrounding Militias and micro governments that have been preventing us from breaching the Border defenses to the Empire. If it were to be shut down, it would spell a major victory and force the Empire to head into damage control trying to rally their losses. Now although none of our attacks have ever reached Naleran, this core-world system has been left undisturbed in the hopes that it will reach the stars in it's own due time and make contact when ready. Such desire to leave them undisturbed was ill-calculated. We have it in our means to take advantage of such courtesy and claim the system erecting outposts on every hospitable planet available. Once the system is secure, we can begin to move out and conquer Naleran. However one factor will assist us in that move. I will be making contact with anarchist factions currently residing on the planet known as Earth and establish a deal with them. If they succeed securing the surface, they will be rewarded with ample weaponry and supply means. This force will then be directed to invade Naleran and cripple the defenses. After that, they will serve my purposes if necessary."

"What if they fail and we are still unable to conquer this planet called Earth?" asked another.  
"Then we must rethink our plan of attack. Allocate our forces and prepare a strike on a more vulnerable target. As for the earth whelps who failed us, we'll abandon the incompetent curs where they are and wait a few centuries to see if they learn how to amount to anything." Rhathan said shrugging innocently to which laughter filled the vast chamber.

"Right, and what of Carda? Rumor has it he escaped your jurisdiction." The Tridonian asked arms folded.  
"The rumors are true. To where, we are not certain. Maldia is currently following some leads on his whereabouts and tracked him to Earth itself. While our invasion forces sweep the ground and attempt to rendezvous with the group who call themselves the 'Brotherhood of Evil', Maldia will use the confusion as a diversion to pursue Carda. Once he is secured, Maldia plans to finish off the remaining forces present resisting us on the surface. All in all, the whole attack should prove to be successful. And a major military cornerstone shall be removed from the integrity of the Empire." Rhathan sighed contentedly.

"Have any plans for him?"  
"If he is willing to re-unite with me, I will accept him back."  
"What if he lies and tries to back-stab you?"  
"I would know. His powers have dulled from never being used. Suppressed to the point that I would be capable of understanding his will and desire in one meeting face to face. If he truly wishes to return to my favor, I would know and accept him. He is my son."


	7. Chapter 7 The Price of Pride

Beast boy slouched into the mission room and collapsed on the counter. Robin was busy watching the news since it was five o'clock and Starfire was reading how to make spaghetti. However it was believed to be debatable whether she was actually learning anything outside of unintentionally developing a new means to poison all life forms outside of Tamaranians. Raven was sitting upright reading a book on something doomed to scare the crap out of him if he even tried to read for once. And Cyborg and Carda had been holed up in the Garage working on some sort of weapon thinga-ma-jigger. Whatever it was, it had better be worth it.

"I never knew that humans made spaghetti sauce out of tomatos." Starfire said cheerfully.  
"What did you THINK it was made out of?" Raven asked unimpressed.  
"The blood of a wild Derangimoose from Wramjak 4. It tastes similar." she smiled killing off whatever Beast boy was thinking of having for an appetite. Robin raised an eyebrow sceptically as the news reported something.  
"In unrelated news, sightings of UFOs are increasing past the die hard fans of these peculiar alleged extra terrestrials. Average every day non-believers are now also reporting such fabricated phenomenon. The sightings are remarkably similar in nature and the locations match one another's reports with fascinating detail. We will report more latter at five thirty after World News."  
"Huh." Robin said thinking thoughtfully.  
"What is it Robin?" Starfire asked.  
"If UFOs are being spotted, it could be a sign that the Imperium is moving their forces. Or at least what they already have here." he replied still watching the news.  
"Carda better hurry up with those weapons he was coming up with. I'm bored without Cyborg." Beast Boy said obliviously. Raven shook her head and got up heading for the door when it suddenly opened and Cyborg and Carda stood in the door way, only Carda had a pair of large cylindrical gauntlets on his forarms. Three long circular narrow spikes extended out over his knuckles from the gauntlets.  
"Wow. Is that what you were talking about?" Robin asked slightly stunned. Carda lifted them up and looked at them for a minute, Cyborg's titanium technology glowing blue in parts.  
"Eh, kinda. Didn't have as many features as my first pair but I left those back at the palace in Catharia. These will have to do." He said smiling slightly.  
"What do they do?" Beast Boy asked, voice cracking excitedly.  
"The inner two spikes double as automatic exploding darts. The outside spikes can be fired and used as grappling hooks and the center ones are capable of extending into rapier scythes." Carda said pointing at each as he listed them.  
"Coooooool!" Beast Boy murmured "Can you show us?"  
"Maybe later." Carda replied. Suddenly the infamous warning sirens blared. Robin grimaced.  
"Trouble!"

* * *

Red X stood at the foot of the pedestal, fingers mere inches from the vial of Xynothium.  
"I wouldn't touch that stuff if I were you." Red X wheeled around at the voice.  
"Who are you supposed to be?" Red X asked back. Carda walked into the room, gauntlets glistening.  
"Mind if I ask the same question?" Carda asked.  
"Doesn't the uniform say enough for you?" Red X asked sceptically pointing at the x on his hand. Carda stared for a moment then shook his head.  
"Sorry, all I'm picking up is insecure dweeb. Must be a wrong number. Or in this case, outfit. You call those arms? I've got you outgunned kiddo." Carda said, throwing around some earth slang. He stretched his arms and flexed his fingers before taking a stance.  
"Me? Wrong guy. See, your the new kid on the block. You haven't seen what I can do." Red X said, eyes narrowing.  
"Does it really matter? Your going to lose anyway." Carda stated in a surprisingly polite tone.  
"We'll see if you live to find out how wrong you are."  
"Likewise." Carda replied and the two jumped into the air, clashing in the middle. Carda kneed Red in the gut and grabbed his arm before side flinging him into a wall. Red X grunted in pain while Carda landed lightly on his feet. When Red X had gotten back to his feet he teleported out of sight. Carda grinned closing his eyes and shot out his left arm, smacking Red X clear across the jaw as he materialized. As Carda rolled away to keep his distance from his opponent, Red X landed on his side.  
"H-how did you-"  
"Every one of your strengths is a weakness. Learn from that and you will see true and terrible powers surpassing the limits of imagination." Carda said getting to his feet.  
"But that still doesn't explain-"  
"Explanations are the reason why you're are losing. Your mind is too busy looking for reasons rather than weaknesses. Robin learned a bit of that, that's why he beats you every time." Carda said before spinning behind him and kicking his feet out from under him. Before he could hit the ground, Carda grabbed him by the collar and flung him into a wall. Red X jumped to his feet and took a defensive stance. Carda sighed.  
"Alright, alright. I'll go easy on you since you need the tutorial. Lesson one; crime doesn't pay." Carda said and charged at normal speed. Red X jumped up and flipped firing Xs from the palms of his hands. Carda dodged and ran vertically up the wall before propelling himself in Red X's direction. Red bent backwards falling in a back-flip maneuver. As he landed on his feet he brought one X weilding fist up blocking a downward attack from Carda as he slammed his left gauntlet into his X. Only Carda had a second move in store slamming Red X in the lower chest with his right elbow and kicking him away with a spinning kick to the forehead.  
"Come on, I'm not even warming up." Carda taunted. Red X didn't realize it, but Carda was actually just working his nerves down to the point that he simply didn't _want_ to fight anymore. He had no real intention of chalenging him into seeing what he was capable of since he guessed that Red X was probably exhausted from bypassing security measures. They had been better than the last in that they prevented Red X's signature teleportation system.

Meanwhile the Teen Titans were seeing how well Carda was doing on his own from the door.  
"How long should we let him go?" Robin asked to Cyborg who was leaning casually against a wall.  
"Still waiting for him to use his spike rockets. I want to see how good he can use this weaponry." Cyborg said looking down at his wrist at a pair of diagrams, one of Carda's statistics and the other of the readouts submitted by the android "Red X" who he was fighting.  
"You doubt he can use those things as weapons?" Robin asked.  
"It's not that. I just haven't seen anything like them before. I want to see him in action before we go in field with this kid. Just out of curiosity." Cyborg shrugged.  
"Increase the difficulty then. Carda is beating Red's butt!" Beast Boy said pointing. Carda was giving the android a beating for the records. Cyborg nodded and switched the android to full difficulty.  
"Could that not be dangerous? He is not expecting such a surge of skill from his defeated enemy." Starfire asked nervously.  
"You can never expect anything from your enemy in reality. This is a realistic taste." Robin replied calmly.

As Carda got up from his beating thinking the fighting had left Red X, he suddenly narrowed his eyes. Carda frowned confusedly. Without warning Red X sprang into action and kicked Carda clear across the room. Carda caught himself in mid air and flipped backwards landing on his feet bringing up his right gauntlet and firing a stream of glowing explosive spikes in Red X's direction. One explosion after the next erupted sending clouds of debris and flame everywhere. Red X narrowly avoided the explosions and jumped across the room with alarming speed towards Carda. Carda fired the grapling hook on his left hand up into the ceiling and began opening fire with his right at Red X below. Red X blocked with a massive x sheild and jumped up after Carda. Carda planted his feet against the wall behind himself and kicked while retracting his grappling spike before rolling to the ground and spinning around, scythe spike extended catching Red X's throwing x in a swift swing and sent it off in another direction where it exploded.  
"Holy CRAP! HE IS AWSOME!" Beast Boy squealed and slumped on the floor.  
"This is amazing! His fighting style is similar to eastern martial arts but has a more animal like aproach to it. Look at the low profile he keeps. He rarely stands defensively. It's always upright or crouch." Robin said pointing at the replay playing on Cyborg's arm.  
"It is the traditional stance of the warrior family of the Catharians, the Cae-Vu-Don. They mirror the stance of the animals to allow for a smaller target to hit. Attacks are offensive yet not always designated to do harm. They are intended merely to disable and eliminate the will of the opponent to fight." Starfire explained.

Carda jabbed and lunged knocking aside Red X's x blades on the backs of his hands and kicked his feet out from under him. Red X rolled left and threw a handful of throwing xs in Carda's direction. Carda fired a single rocket catching all of them in the explosion. Red X teleported behind Carda but Carda was ready and caught the x saw in mid spin. They jumped away and returned at each other, striking back and forth. Carda got inside Red X's guard and cut off the belt at his waist while disabling his hands by wrapping them in a grappling spike cord. Suddenly the "Red X" toppled over and the mask slid off it's face revealing circuits and wires.  
"Huh?" Carda asked confused and turned when the team walked in."Why didn't you guys help?"  
"Didn't need to. I was at the controls!" Cyborg said grinning.  
"What?"  
"We needed to see what you were capable of before we saw you in field. We salvaged a drone of Slade's from one of our previous battles and gave it a 'Red X' like suit. Only it would only run the suit systems for around five hours before it shutting down but we had a hunch you could handle it." Robin said smiling.  
"You mean you fight those every day?" Carda asked.  
"Eh, on bad days when Slade is in town, yeah." Raven shrugged.  
"Sure works up a sweat, and for me that's saying something." Carda replied smiling.  
"So you're not all powerful?" Beast boy asked sort of let down.  
"I just don't show pain or weakness in a fight. It helps discourage the opponent." Carda said shrugging.  
"Weird." Beast boy mumbled.  
"Naw, I think it's kinda cool." Raven said in a painfully concomital voice.  
"Regardless, I think you would make an excellent addition to the team." Robin said stepping forward and holding out a Teen Titan communicator.  
"Are you sure? I have enemies that will get in the way from time to time." Carda mentioned warningly.  
"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle."  
"Then Robin of the Teen Titans, I would like to join your team."  
"Welcome aboard, Carda."


	8. Chapter 8 Shattered Rules of War

The council sat around the large oval table in the wonderfully decorated room. They sat in wooden arm chairs with gold trimmings of exotic birds and flowers etched into the gold leaf. There were twenty catharians seated at the large table with around thirty armed guards around the walls standing in uniformal attention. The large archways that opened up to the outside bestowed a spectacular view of the catharian homeward metropolis of Catharia. Outside, ships darted past one another and swooped gracefully in and amongst the stone arch towers. The buildings rose and fell with the terrain causing a wave like pattern of towers of a skyline. High up in the sky, mighty warships loomed over the small planet in a defensive blockade that would insure protection from invasion. Each of the seated individuals at the table was a member of the Chatarian Ruling Council, each entrusted a certain task within the defense and well being of the Empire. The councilman at the far end of the table stood and addressed his fellow members. He wore a shiny suit of armor made of a plastic-metal alloy, multiple square symbolols adorning the left side of his chest representing the numerous military achievements he had accomplished throughout his years of service.

"Fellow members of our honored council. We are gathered tonight for the seventh time this week concerning the matter of what course of action we believe the Empire must take to insure both integrity and self-preservation within the circle of galactic nations as a whole. Discussion will begin now." He said before seating himself. One of the other members rose, clad in a padded tunic designed for less brutal weaponry than the first.  
"We have seen many ideas, none of which have come to conclusion. Mine is this. We must begin arming average citizens for war. Every man will be ready and armed to fight for his homeland."  
"Fool, we have neither the resources nor the funding to carry out such as you have suggested!" Another objected from their seat, their clothes simple yet bearing Catharian military insignias.  
"Then what do you suggest, if my idea is so poor?" They replied.  
"Simple, rally the systems and allocate all of our forces to the frontline."  
"Are you out of your head? We aren't doing such a foolish move because of the enormous casualties we would sustain. The more boys we put up on the front, the more targets they have the ability to hit. "  
"Speed up training." another suggested."We need more soldiers to begin shifting to an offensive strategy."  
"We have already cut training time by half! Anything more would be suicidal! We need our troops to be skilled enough at not getting hit to survive out there! Casualties are coming in droves and we're barely keeping up with the demand for new troops as it is! Until we have a surplus of ready at arms man power, we're stuck in our current stalemate." The head speaker said who had started this meeting.  
"Are there any other suggestions?"  
"I understand this is a void of the Anti-tyrannical codes, but wouldn't it be wise to rally our neighboring systems to form the Conglomerate Confederation of Armed Forces?" An elderly commander asked.  
"We already tried that. They would not permit us to void the codes even in war times. The codes were instated to prevent ourselves from submitting our allies under our rule since it was considered in our nature to conquer." The main speaker said sadly."As ironic as it may seem, our own efforts for peace will spell our doom in the current war."  
"Consider the problem no longer existing." Shafeth said entering the room with his best friend Hainor at his side.  
"Emperor Shafeth-" The main speaker said surprised and rose to his feet. The others tried to follow suit but Shafeth raised his hands for them to remain seated.  
"Emperor Shafeth, what happened to change the mind of the bureaucracy?" the main speaker asked stunned.  
"A situation has forced the bureaucracy to reconsider their verdict. In light of new developements, the Anti-tyrannical codes have been repealed for the duration of the war." Shafeth said seating himself at an open seat at the low end of the table though his presence was as notable as ever and none could deny he had control of the entire conversation as of now.

"What has happened?" the original head speaker asked.  
"Carda is missing." Shafeth replied simply.  
"WHAT?!" the entire room erupted in shock.  
"According to reports Carda was captured and imprisoned by the Imperium investigating a new lead on a potential infringement on the treaty of the northern frontier. During the opperation, Carda was captured but later started a prison riot and escaped. All we are certain of on the matter is that something happened and our spies are reporting that even the inner circle isn't sure what happened. What matters right now though is that Carda is out of contact. We have no idea where he is or what might have happened to him. What little he said in the report transmissions is too vague to tell for certain what the Imperium was up to. All we know is that he is no longer at our disposal." Shafeth said silencing the quarrel of voices that began to surge after hearing the news.  
"But without Carda, we have lost the very thing that equalizes us with the Imperium! He was the only thing evening the odds for us in the Grand Uprising. Even with your power Emperor Shafeth, we are no match against TWO of the imperial lineage." said one of the more unnerved generals.  
"Which is exactly why the Bureaucracy has elected to repeal restrictions in order to preserve the NeoCatharian Empire. They aren't as stupid as you think. They also plead that you make an official declaration of war to our people to rouse them to fight. We may not increase training speed, but there is nothing preventing us from increasing recruitment speed." Shafeth said leaning back and pressing his fingers together.


	9. Chapter 9 Not So Different

Raven sat on her bed reading her book, trying to block out the nonsense that the tower seemed to radiate on an almost hourly basis. However, the team accepted her and that was something no one else had ever done for her. Ever. Sure, they may not understand where she was coming from when she said something, but they at least tried and didn't shy away from her in light of the facts. And then there was Carda. They hadn't really talked, or at all really. He seemed so relaxed and friendly though. He didn't seem to struggle with his emotions the way she had to. At least that's how it had seemed at first. But then again, she sensed he was hiding something. And she intended to look into it. Right after this chapter. And the next. One more couldn't hurt. Then the world suddenly jolted her out of the words on the page and into the annoying and almost nonexistent knock on her door. NO one entered her room, which meant NO one disturbed her. Or at least that had been the system for a while now. She exhaled venting her irritation and walked over to the door.

When she opened it Carda was standing on the other side, one of her books tucked under his arm.

"Hey, you left this lying around in the mission room and I kinda read through it. Sorry, here's it back." He said embarrassedly and handed it towards her. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"What did you think?" She asked as she recognized the label on the spine identified it as one of her more… advanced books. Or as Beast Boy would aggravatingly say, creepy.

"It was good. Actually it explains some of the strange phenomena incorporated in the Dark Catharian tomes of Dethorantar as well as some of the grey areas on my unique condition." Carda said earnestly.

"Really?" Raven asked in her mildly interested voice.

"Yeah, especially the flawed connections between the will and control my mind has over my powers. I didn't realize that it could stem from certain levels of confusion under relatively delicate conditions." Carda said.

"Come in, I need to talk." Raven said standing aside and letting him in.

"Cozy place you got her with all your books at your fingers." Carda mentioned as he looked around. That caught Raven off guard considering that there were so many unnerving images and symbols throughout her room and what he picked out first was her books.

"What about the other stuff." Raven asked addressing the statues of grotesques around her room. Carda shrugged.

"Reminds me of the temple ruins of Starnak 3. Only prettier. Much prettier." Carda joked looking at one of the more distorted ones.

"You're wierd." Raven murmured audibly.

"And you're not? Or at least in the eyes of our comrades."

"I keep my mouth shut. I don't talk to people so people don't talk to me. But you willingly engage in conversation. Why?"

"It's a whole lot better than killing them." Carda said answering her question poorly. Only Raven couldn't really deny he had a point since he didn't have a point.

"Why are you so distant and yet diverse? From what I've read, you understand some really interesting stuff, not all of it out of even Beast Boy's understanding."

"My emotions control my powers. Letting them out activates my magic. They affect their ability to be effective." Raven replied.

"So you don't interact because you're afraid of the repercussions of interest affecting your feelings? Raven, talking and showing ones feelings are very different. Talking portrays a given feeling, whether it's yours or not. I never tell anyone but my brother Shafeth since he can read my thoughts and vice versa any ways. Just because you can't be friendly doesn't mean you can't act it. Talking is always one big act any way. It's all a matter of whether you tell the truth or not." Carda said, picking up a green crystal from it's pedestal.

"You mean you act like you're happy? Why?" Raven asked curious.

"We work better together as a pose to alone. Trust increases the efficiency of this unity. Some of the greatest armies in my peoples history overcame superior power simply through trust. Being open and friendly strengthens that trust. It provides a sense of understanding as a pose to confusion from things like detachment. As long as the Team trusts one another, odds are dwarfed by odds. There is no benefit to size or power. That's why I am so open with everyone. It reassures them I am on their side. Detachment simply broods fear and divides groups." Carda said and set the crystal back.

"Where did you learn all of this?" Raven asked slightly stunned.

There was a long silence and Carda finally responded."My father."

"The one you are at war with?"

"Yeah. War. Funny thing how the ideas of both good and evil blend together into the harshness of reality." Carda chuckled slightly and looked over to Raven."My powers are governed by my anger and desire. The two in my peoples eyes are inseparable. In your tongue, it would translate as "The blind rage for destruction" or the Shat-Kriit in my language."

"Your emotions control you powers too."

"Only mine are only affected by the feeling of Shat-Kriit. All other emotions are at my command."

"You aren't much different than me. Or any of us for that matter. Is that why you wanted to warn us about the Invasion?" Raven asked. Carda took a deep breathe.

"In all honesty, yes. You are another race of being with heightened intelligence so an alliance would be advisable. But you're also more than that. I see our own race in you. In your actions. I see something that has not resembled us so similarly in all of eternity. I see the next great race of beings that will surely surpass the Neo-Catharian Empire. And I intend to see it flourishes." Carda replied.

Suddenly the alarm sounded again. Carda frowned. Robin was outside the door.

"Sorry to tell you this guys, but we have a crime streak. Cinder block is on the move."


End file.
